Summer of '58
- July 21, 2021
- EMIKA_GAMES
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Summer of '58' is a first-person psychological thriller set in an abandoned Soviet camp, where players must uncover the eerie happenings of the past. With a playtime of approximately 90 minutes, the game takes place in the pioneer camp 'Yunost', where players will encounter flashing images that could trigger epileptic seizures."
Reviews
- The atmospheric sounds and jump scares are very well done, constantly catching players off guard.
- The game features a compelling story set in an abandoned Soviet camp, enhancing the horror experience.
- Great graphics and sound design contribute to an immersive and terrifying gameplay experience.
- The game is very short, typically completed in under 2 hours, leading to some players exploiting the refund policy.
- Gameplay can feel repetitive, often requiring players to wander back and forth to trigger events.
- Some jump scares feel cheap and predictable, diminishing their overall impact.
- story517 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with many players finding it intriguing yet often too short or poorly executed. While some appreciate the atmospheric and creepy elements, along with unexpected twists, others criticize it for being convoluted, lacking depth, or relying heavily on jump scares without substantial narrative development. Overall, the story serves as a driving force for the gameplay, but its effectiveness varies widely among players.
“The game's immersive storyline will take you back in time to experience the terror that turned out to be much scarier than the stories told around the campfire.”
“I didn't expect the twist in the story towards the end, so really great work!!”
“The story is very immersive, not too long and not too short.”
“The story is shallow and cliché.”
“The story itself is a bit hard to piece together, but by the end you mostly understand what happened.”
“The story was bland and way too short.”
- atmosphere246 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and creepy qualities, enhanced by excellent sound design and effective jump scares. Many players noted that the combination of unsettling visuals and audio creates a tense environment that keeps them on edge throughout the experience. However, some critiques mention an over-reliance on predictable jump scares, which can detract from the overall atmospheric tension.
“The atmosphere was amazing, it felt so realistic for such a small game.”
“The atmosphere, sound design, and visual disturbances kept me stressed out the entire time.”
“The atmosphere is so incredible.”
“The atmosphere takes it to a level that the scares sadly do not meet.”
“If you have zero original ideas on how to create a convincing horror atmosphere, you make a game like this.”
“The worst part is that this game totally has the atmosphere and the creep factor to be scary on its own and it's kind of ruined by all the constant cheap jump scares.”
- graphics136 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their stunning visuals, atmospheric lighting, and detailed models, contributing significantly to the overall immersive experience. Many players noted the high quality of the graphics, especially for an indie title, although some expressed frustration with limited graphical settings and occasional technical issues. Overall, the combination of impressive graphics and effective sound design enhances the game's horror elements, making it a visually appealing experience.
“Gorgeous graphics round out this A+ title, and for the price, it's an amazing value.”
“Graphics are realistic with detailed models, dirty textures, and very good, atmospheric lighting conditions.”
“The graphics are amazing as the jump scares are definitely always on point!”
“The one downside to this horror game is that the graphic settings did not save.”
“Issue is the graphics control settings are abysmal; I have a well-built system with a 3070ti and a good processor, I can run far more demanding games on high fps, but this game has some sort of inbuilt motion blur that you can't disable, you can't lower any of the graphics below medium, you can't lower anti-aliasing below ultra.”
“The game has weaknesses, notably the flimsy graphics, the jump scares (which yes, do eventually get kind of old), and a bit of predictability.”
- gameplay90 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its reliance on simple walking simulator mechanics, such as exploring environments and triggering events. While some appreciate the smooth controls and atmospheric elements, others criticize the repetitive nature, lack of direction, and short playtime, suggesting that the game may not justify its price. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a blend of engaging moments and frustrating mechanics, leaving players divided on their experience.
“The gameplay is smooth and engaging, with a wide variety of tasks and activities to keep you entertained.”
“I loved the day and night mechanic, and the subtle changes in the environment over time as you progress are a nice touch.”
“This game has a very detailed story for a 2-hour game with simple mechanics to follow yet amazingly well-timed audio and sound effects that will have you freaking out over every creak of a floorboard and squeak of a door.”
“Terrible gameplay, terrible character movements, terrible storytelling.”
“Its gameplay structure makes no sense as you wander aimlessly following sounds or trying to find a random object that will trigger the next event.”
“The majority of the gameplay is walking around, which I'm normally happy to do to get immersed into a world, but it feels like you have to walk around randomly until the next event is triggered and then the game can progress.”
- music32 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for enhancing the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its ability to create tension and evoke emotions, particularly in horror contexts. The soundtrack is described as eerie, haunting, and well-composed, contributing significantly to the game's immersive experience, while some players appreciated the nostalgic nods to 80s film music. Overall, the audio elements, including sound effects and ambient music, are considered a strong point, effectively complementing the gameplay and jump scares.
“There were great scares, great music, an ominous atmosphere, and incredible jump scares!”
“A great little horror game with such an amazing soundtrack.”
“The sound and the music are outstanding.”
“The game wants to imitate American films of the 80s with the Stranger Things fonts and music.”
“The scares don't always play out as they should; there were a couple of times where the only reason I knew I had triggered one scare was because I heard the musical sting.”
“Some more subtle scares with less reliance on loud music/noise would have been much more effective.”
- grinding18 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 72 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and time-consuming, often requiring players to invest 60-100 hours for completion. Many reviewers noted that the gameplay becomes repetitive and lacks logical progression, leading to frustration and a sense of aimlessness. While some found enjoyment in the atmosphere, the overall sentiment is that the grinding detracts significantly from the experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Grindy (60 - 100 hours).”
“It seems you just keep wandering around slowly until you pick up something that results in the next thing happening and then something will appear where you had previously slowly lumbered around and so on... very tedious.”
“None of it feels logical or fun and ends up becoming quite tedious.”
“Because it means we'll keep getting longer games that are 90% filler in the way of any story or progression because gamers keep saying they want more bang for the buck, which means more boring and tedious grinding in just about everything just to make it longer.”
- replayability10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it infinitely replayable, others rate it around 6/10, citing limited replay value beyond collecting missed achievements and discovering hidden content.
“🔲 infinitely replayable”
“Replayability - 6/10”
“I wandered quite a bit and still only hit 80 minutes with no real replay value.”
“There is very little replayability though aside from if you have missed achievements or missed the few hidden easter eggs/spooks.”
- stability10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 10 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The stability of the game received mixed reviews, with some players reporting a smooth experience free of bugs and glitches, while others encountered issues such as freezes, stutters, and resolution problems. Overall, many users found the mechanics to work well, but a few highlighted significant bugs reminiscent of other problematic titles.
“Overall, I can say that the mechanics of this game work well and it is pretty much bug-free.”
“This game is bug-free.”
“The game runs smoothly without any noticeable bugs.”
“Very buggy, like Cyberpunk or the Saints Row reboot.”
“I should also point out, I had a bit of a buggy experience with the resolution; it doesn't support 3840 x 1600, so whenever a loading text would appear, it was slightly cut off.”
“The requirements were a little too high for my potato PC, but after messing around with the settings, I still managed to run it mostly smoothly with only a few freezes and stutters here or there.”
- emotional10 mentions
- 90 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
Players report that the game evokes a profound emotional response, blending fear with a compelling narrative that includes harrowing themes and character-driven moments. The intense atmosphere, punctuated by jump scares and a gripping story, leaves players feeling uneasy yet deeply engaged, often leading to moments of genuine emotional impact, including tears and a strong connection to the characters. Overall, the game is praised for its ability to maintain a relentless pace of horror while delivering a heartfelt conclusion.
“There’s a dark conspiracy here and you’ll get to read some harrowing notes from folks trying to do the right thing amidst all the abuse going on here, which adds needed emotional stakes to the proceedings.”
“This game made me cry, and doesn't even give you a moment to catch your breath between horrifying moments.”
“Not only does this game provide the horror aspect that you're surely searching for, but it also doesn't hold back with an ending that felt very satisfying and heartfelt.”
“This has to be the scariest game I've ever played. I had to take a break and continue this gameplay. I've never jumped in a game so hard before; the story just pulls you in and leaves you sweating. There's no breaks, it's just moment after moment. Never once was I bored with filler or a boring story; I was always up and ready in this game. What's crazy is that it's really not long at all; it's a really short game. I just played it a lot of times with friends just to scare them. I love it and definitely recommend it to the creators. On the off chance you all read this, I need the next game to come out. I love your game and I need more. I make videos on scary games; I'm a small channel and it makes me feel great to see that the people who watch me enjoy the game just like I do.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a standout feature, with players frequently laughing out loud and enjoying comedic moments that often overshadow the horror elements. Many found the combination of unexpected humor, quirky translations, and funny soundboard quotes from friends added to the overall enjoyment, making it a fun experience whether playing alone or with others. While some noted that the humor could detract from the intended scares, it ultimately contributed to a memorable and entertaining gameplay experience.
“You guys had me crying and laughing at the same time.”
“My experience was more comedic than it was scary due to the strange English translation and my friend frequently using a soundboard to spout funny quotes whenever something happened, but a good horror game regardless.”
“A couple of hours of getting spooked and laughing with some friends or playing alone and having my dog wonder why I am screaming... totally worth the price.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization received mixed reviews; while some players praised it for being well-optimized with great visuals and performance, others reported significant issues, including high GPU usage and performance problems that detracted from the experience.
“Great game, short, straight to the point, nice jump scares and well optimized.”
“Tons of jump scares, has a good story, great visuals, better optimization.”
“The last part is most important; more of these games made with this engine are usually poorly optimized right out of the gate, shooting my RTX 3080 up to 90-99% usage, where it should never be with games like these.”
“Great game but bad optimization.”
“A simple trapped-in-a-building type of game with unstylish presentation, cheesy jump scares with loud noises every few seconds, simplistic or nonsensical problem solving, and a simple story that can be read on scattered notes. Add that to some performance issues.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
While the game features visually impressive character designs, many users feel that it lacks sufficient character development and backstory, which detracts from the overall experience.
“The character designs are pretty good! They're simple but effective.”
“The game would benefit from more character development and backstory.”
“It would just benefit from more character development and backstory.”
